Simon Birmingham says there are enormous opportunities for Australian food and beverage brands to stand out from the crowd.
“We want to make sure Australian food and beverage products are front and centre in India’s supermarkets as India’s economy continues to grow over the next 20 years," he said during the recent launch at a luxury supermarket chain in Mumbai, during his four-day visit to India.
Highlights:
- Senator Birmingham led a delegation of more than 100 Australian businesses and organisations to India.
- He said consumers are looking for healthy, safe and premium food options.
- Australia's premium products have the potential to become staples in the diets of discerning Indian consumers.
“With India’s growing and aspirational middle class, more and more consumers are looking for healthy, safe and premium food options, and this is where Australian brands can capitalise.
“Our premium products, whether it be Australian lamb, world-class wine or sensational cheeses, have the potential to become staples in the diets of discerning Indian consumers,” said Mr Birmingham in a statement.
One of the pioneers of Australian and traditional Indian cuisine in Australia, Manjit Gujaral says the opportunities are real if Australian cuisine and brands are marketed properly.
He says, “Australian pies, sausages and especially Australian ingredients are of very high quality and would be loved by Indian consumers.
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“Australian wines are one of the best in the world now. People in India are loving them. And now Indians, in general, are inching towards wines. Particularly the younger generation is going more on wines. This gives Australia a huge opportunity.”
Minister Birmingham said, “With many high-end restaurants throughout India now featuring Australian food and wine, our next challenge is further expanding the presence of our brands on supermarket shelves and online.”
Manjit Gujaral says Indians are experimenting with fusion food and Australia is a pioneer in fusion food.
“I was in India recently and visited many fusion food restaurants. They are pushing the limits. This brings Australia a huge opportunity as the Australian cuisine is nothing but a fusion of the foods from all over the world,” says Mr Gujaral.
Australian brands like Vegemite, Carman’s, San Remo and Arnott’s were featured in the Taste of Australia campaign.
Policy analyst and Newland Global Group GM Natasha Jha Bhaskar says launching new brands in India is giving an opportunity to young aspirational Indian middle class which is a welcome step.
“This is very aspirational growing young middle class in big numbers which is now wanting to have access to a newer product across different markets and global brands. For them, it is giving them an opportunity to a new product, and I think that’s a hugely welcome step for Australian brands to be now entering the Indian market,” said Mr Bhaskar.
Many Australian producers have created a huge market for themselves in the past few years. For instance, Australian almonds sales have tripled in India in the last decade and are now worth $113 million (AUD) a year, according the to Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
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